PEACE AMIDST A STORM
With the Lord, there is peace amidst storm always. All we have to do is to be still and know that the Lord is in control. In life, there will always be storms. Indeed, powerful storms that, shake us to the foundation of our being. However, the storms do not affect us, but also everything and everyone around us is constantly shaken by the storms of life.
Sometimes, these stormy moments leave wreaking and devastating experiences in our lives, families, and institutions. These storms of life come to us in different forms and ways: personal crises, health challenges, interpersonal relationships, emotional and psychical breakdowns, economic crises, natural disasters, socio-political conflicts, socio-cultural cum religious strife, etc.
No matter the storms, crises or difficulties we face in life, we need to be still and let God be God. That is, to take control of the situations. The psalmist: King David who knew many storms in his life invites us in Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God”. God though Almighty is a God of stillness, where there is peace and blissfulness.
OUR THEME
The readings of this Sunday remind us that amidst the storms of life, whether personal, communal or institutional God is in control of them. We are called to peace amidst a storm, and peace that comes from the stillness of God´s abiding presence.
Christ is not only our mediator with the Father. The central and lovely image of God´s intervention in broken human history. He is also our peace, our refuge, and our stronghold amidst life´s crises. He is the one that calms the troubled water and stills the bubbling state of affairs in us and around us.
FIRST READING: JOB 38:1, 8–11
With a lot of rhetorical questions the Omnipotent and Omniscient God curbs Job’s pride with the sense of is awe and stillness. The story of Job is one of tragic stories of the Bible which articulated the problem of evil and the suffering of the innocent.
Essentially, it corrects one of the most theological errors of the past that still lingers till today. The assertion that human sufferings are results of human sins or failures.
However, the Book of Job corrects this theological error and brings to the mystery of awe in human sufferings. Evil in the world whether in the human cycle or natural disasters are not consequences of their victims’ act. Neither, are they act of an insensitive God against human beings.
Essentially, it corrects one of the most theological errors of the past that still lingers till today. The assertion that human sufferings are results of human sins or failures.
Though, the matter of ravaging storms or tempest is eminent in life. It is good to know that they are within the bounds of God´s permission. The answer to Job in the first reading of today is that humans are not playing things of God to discard at will. Rather, in the stormy sea or the dark cloud of life and nature are within the stillness of God´s control.
In a nutshell, the first reading is about how God the Father always limits our sufferings. There is no part in God’s plan, which says that our sufferings will be endless or limitless. Thus, even in the tempest rage of storms, God has a boundary for its effect on us.
The Psalmist in Psalm 139 invites us to be conscious of our choice and making by God even in our mother´s womb before we were born. With a sense of awe that leads us to declare vehemently: “I praise you, O God, for I am wonderfully made.”
SECOND READING: 2 CORINTHIANS 5:14-17
Technically, the concepts of storm and stillness are not directly seen but imply in the second reading of today. St Paul who knew many stormy moments in his private life and public ministry invites us to a new life of peace in Christ Jesus. Paul centres the Christian life on the fact that Christ died for all. A death that makes us died with him through our baptism and to rise to new life through his resurrection.
The central message of Paul in the reading of today is that “whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.” This newness of life (that is our peace) is attained because of the stormy or violent death of Christ.
He was one of those who indirectly inflicted havoc and violence against Christ in his mystical body the Church. Though, through repentance and conversion has to understand Christ as the Lord and Messiah. This experience changes his life and perspective of Christ.
Hence, in Paul´s understanding, a Christian who has faith and is baptized into Christ Jesus no longer live according to the flesh but the spirit of God who raises Christ from the dead. For St. Paul, the flesh means the fallen world which includes us- our bodies which are sickly, suffering, sinful, decaying and dying.
Therefore, in Paul´s view, the Christian life does not pertain to the fallen world. In the sense that once a person is baptized, not only does he or she belong to the new creation. Such a person should also regard his or her fellow human beings from the vantage point of the new creation in Christ Jesus.
Now, as Christians, how do we accept our ascendance as a new creation in Christ Jesus- when we are still prone to sins, sufferings, sicknesses and death? The answer is in Christ Jesus. It is in him, we overcome the fallen world of sins, sufferings, sickness and death and rise to new life.
In Christ, we attain peace, calm and stillness from the violent situations of the flesh or fallen world where sins, sufferings, sicknesses, and death dominate us. As such, Paul’s spiritual outlook is that the Christian life prompted and sustained by the love of God in Christ Jesus through the action of the Holy Spirit.
THE GOSPEL: MARK 4:35-41
The evangelist Mark presents us a dramatic and vivid detail of God´s power in Christ Jesus over the storms of life. Contextually, the Lake of Galilee was notorious for its storms. They literally came out of the blue with shattering and terrifying suddenness. This is how our human life and existence are too. They are full of ravaging storms that come out of the blue and wreck us with ever-changing effects.
Even though the Gospel passage gives us a descriptive image of the sailing boats, the storm, Jesus’ reaction and the disciples’ sense of awe. The story is much more than that in a symbolic spiritual way. It is a story of something, which happened once. It is something that still happens and which can happen to us or for us.
Namely, in the still blissful and peaceful presence of Jesus, we can have peace even in the wildest storms of life. That is peace amidst a storm of life or the ravaging circumstances of life.
BASICALLY, IT IS EVIDENT THAT:
- There are a lot of destructive forces or storms in life that threaten to annihilate us from existence.
- Life is a voyage with a lot of storms coming at us from every angle. We navigate life or our spiritual life through the storms of life with Christ as our guide.
- Yet, we can sail into and through this ravaging storm with God still present on our side to assure and calm us. God is always with us whether awake or asleep.
- The disciples realized the presence of Jesus with them the storm became calm. Once they knew he was there a fearless peace entered their hearts. There was peace amidst a storm.
- The universal true is that to voyage with Jesus was to voyage in peace even in the storm of life.
Interestingly, the words Jesus addressed the wind and the waves are the same as he addressed to the demon-possessed man in Mk.1:25. He rebuked and ordered the demon out of the possessed man. Just as an evil demon possessed and tormented the man, so too was the destructive power of evil that possessed the forces of nature – the storm that threatened the lives of the disciples.
NATURE´S FORCES: WHO IS IN CONTROL?
It is a common fact that the people in Palestine believed in those days, the evil power of the demons was at work in the realm of nature. This belief is also common to us today, as many Christian believe and see evil in nature than the beauty of God´s creative work.
The Judo-Christian thought of our time has this blame worth attitude of the Devil and evil spirits working to cause havoc in the Christian lives and they are responsible for natural disasters that affect man. This attitude or mentality sometimes gives more power and fame to evil than God who created the universe.
GOD IN CONTROL
As Christians, we must realize that God is the one in charge or control of the universe, not the evil ones. This affirmation will put us at peace even in the midst of storms and crises. Hence, we can be at peace or relax knowing that God is in control.
This is the central message of the gospel of today. Even when unexpectedly the storm took the disciples’ boat with Jesus asleep in it. They did not take to despair, but they resort to calling and waking Christ up to save them. For them, a desperate and critical moment calls for a desperate solution. Here, Christ was their only and immediate solution. In their fear and panic, though they lost faith and trust in God, they had Christ with them.
Jesus did not only challenge their faith in God. He demonstrated to them that He and the Father are in control of every life situation even the naturally induced ones. As observed by St. John Chrysostom, with a keen insight into the gospel: “Behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, so that the ship was covered with the waves, but he was asleep.”
Jesus´ act of sleeping amidst the storms and waves is a perfect indication of absolute trust in God his Father; the Creator of the Universe. He always knew with God there is peace amidst a storm because he is in control.
Jesus being asleep invites us to serenity, peace and calm in the midst of storm not just to tranquillize us amidst life´s challenges but to be noble amidst trials and terrors of life. We should also learn the attitude of calmness or stillness amidst life´s troubles.
WE WILL PRIMARILY FOCUS ON THE FOLLOWING TAKEAWAYS FROM TODAY’S GOSPEL READING.
1. To always have Jesus in our boat (either awake/asleep); life´s voyage has a lot of storms and Christ is needed to sail through. We need to remember that Jesus is always with us in the boat of our life.
2. Not to fear during critical challenges, because Jesus will take care of us. His lovely presence is peace, calm and courage onto us.
3. To have an attitude of submission and endurance. That is to trust and call on God amidst our fears, troubles and difficulties of life with a sense of patience.
4. With Jesus in our boat, we will surely reach the other side (accomplish our purpose on earth). Remember, he is the one who invites us to sail with him through the stormy sea on fragile boats with little or no security.
Equally, the gospel of today is of deep comfort to us in our Christian journey of faith amidst storms, problems, troubles, difficulties and crises. It assures us that always and everywhere there will be peace amidst a storm of life.
Jesus gives us peace in the storm of sorrow. When sorrow comes as come it must inevitably. He tells us of the glory of the life to come. He changes the darkness of death into the sunshine of the thought of life eternal. He tells us of the love of God.
He gives us peace when life’s problems involve us in a tempest of doubts, tensions and uncertainties. There come times when we do not know what to do; when we stand at some crossroads in life and do not know which way to take.
If then we turn to Jesus and say to him, “Lord, what do you want me to do?” the way will be clear.
The real tragedy of the Christian life is not that we do not know what to do, but that often we do not humbly submit to Jesus’ guidance. To ask his will and to submit to it is the way to peace at such a time.
He gives us peace in the storms of anxiety and insecurity. The chief enemy of peace are worries, cares and preoccupations. We worry for ourselves or worry about the unknown future, and as well we worry about those we love.
We can turn or convert all these worries to prayer when we know and believe Christ´s presence with us as our peace amidst a storm.
In summary, we all experience different types of violent storms in our lives: physical storms, emotional storms, and spiritual storms. We face storms of sorrow, doubt, anxiety, worry, temptation, and passion. Only Jesus can still these storms. Jesus can give us real peace in the storm of sorrow. He can become our peace amidst a storm if we wake him up in the middle of our crises.
THE STORM COULD BE OVER IF WE CALL ON CHRIST!
We have been hit by the storm of covid-19, which left us all devastated socially, physically, emotionally, mentally, psychologically, spiritually and economically. There are many other storms in our lives: storms of the death of our loved ones; failed relationships, marriages and broken families as well as institutions.
The storms of brokenness, disappointment and abandonment from and in families, friends and authorities. The storms of scandals in the Church, religious life and religious communities. The storms of brutalities, used and abused in the name of God by so-called men and women of God.
Storms of social, cultural, moral, ethical, religious, and political decadence and corruption. As well as, the storms of climatic and environmental changes ranging from hot weather, flood, hard winters, drought, wildfire, lack of potable water, diseases and extinction of biosphere, etc.
All these storms can be over when like the disciple we awake Christ up with our cries and shouts of panic and desperation. One thing is certain, God: Christ is with us always and everywhere, especially at drastic or crucial moments of fear and helplessness.
The stories of Job and the disciples´ experience presents us with one solid fact: WE DO NOT TELL GOD WE HAVE A BIG PROBLEM BUT THAT WE TELL OUR PROBLEM WE HAVE A BIG GOD.
FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS
Are you in a crisis of faith, and life and existence? What are your reactions to your crisis? Despair? Discourage? Disappointment? Doubts or fear?
Do you believe in the presence of God amidst your challenges or crises? What positive step can you take amidst the storms in your life?
Do you know God is bigger and greater than the savaging and ravaging storms in your life, in your family, in your community, in your country, the Church, and the world?
Do you know how to still yourself before God at a crisis moment to let his will have his way in your conditions or situations?
What hold you back from attaining peace and calmness in your life at moments of crisis? Do you trust with affirming conviction that Christ is our peace amidst storms, crisis, and difficulties of life?
OUR PRAYER
Lord Jesus Christ, you are Lord and King of the universe and nothing came into being without you even the storms of life. Help us like Job or your disciples to know that the storms are nothing compared to God, we have against them and that always there will be peace amidst a storm of life. May we learn, experience and take it to heart that you are always closer to us and accompany us in life´s journey. Amen.
